NQM-BOM all rounds

 So, if you've been following me or have read some of my past posts, you know I've been doing the National Quilt Museum's Block of the Month facebook rounds since it started in 2018.  The first couple I made verbatum.  Didn't change up a thing.  But, I get bored.  I use a variety of fabric colors and textures, sure, but I get bored.  So, by round #3 I started choosing a theme to coincide with the BOM.  Changing just minor things to their monthly sample blocks.  Sometimes not changing the block at all.  It gave me joy to create a block inside my theme but fit their criteria/style/technique.  

NQM-BOM Round #1

NQM-BOM Round #2

NQM-BOM Round #3 -  Theme Japan

NQM-BOM Round #4 - Theme Tesla & Nature's Elements

NQM-BOM Round #5 - Theme Video Games

NQM-BOM Round #6 - Theme Art Deco

If you've never seen the instructions for this Block of the Month project, then let me tell you the instructions are brief.  You are left to make your own choices as to fabrics, placements, borders, etc... You read each instruction from the designer of the block and make it, plain and simple.  

 For round #6, I really felt that it wasn't "finished" with the 8th block, which was meant to be the final one.  I made an extra block as I wanted the 3X3 (9) setting.  These blocks are 14" square.  That's pretty big and I felt it needed some substantial borders to bring it all together.  So, that's how this one grew into a Queen size bed quilt.  Yes, it measures 89"X89" square.   The search for what to do next was easy for me.  Keeping in theme, I knew I wanted some sort of fan shape and a take on 3D so it was just a matter of drawing and sizing the border sections to create two border patterns.  This quilt is my favorite of all the rounds I've done and I can't imagine topping it, so this may be a good place to stop and call it quits on the BOM's.   It's currently in the process of quilting on my B740 Bernina, so it's slow going.  If it gets finished by the time our local quilt show is on, I may enter it.   

It's got to be called a series, in my opinion.  An accomplishment.  Each one different, but also the same.  Looking back, I am glad I started this journey.  I've learned quite a bit from each of the different designers for all these blocks.  Thanks to the National Quilt Museum for offering this free to facebook users BOM group.  Join, learn and create.  Go Here

Retrospective for my 2024 year

 The phrase, "It's a wrap" has become a cliche.  As well as, "It's in the books".  Why do we repeat phrases over and over until they really have no significance or meaning anymore.  How about this one from a few years back, "it is what it is"....what does that really mean?  I would say in contrast, "it isn't what it isn't".  Please stop, take a little extra time to explain whatever you mean.  Afterall, it is true, we've lost the art of conversation.  Literature, poetry, ordinary conversation used to be one of  the arts of romanticism.  In todays times, people are inserting emojis, icons, abreviations, and frankly have lost patience for long winded paragraphs explaining absolutely everything.  

Thankfully, there is still a growing number of people creating and learning the art of stitching whether it's embroidery, tailoring, knitting and crocheting, crafting, or piecing and quilting.  It takes time, you don't want to rush through something just to be done.  Enjoy the process, examine and work through each step.  Technology has made learning anything you can dream of accessible and easy to obtain.   

Do people take time to make New Year's resolution lists?  I admit that I don't anymore.  Every year there are carryover projects or ideas that I never had time for or I get a mental block and want to let it sit in the corner longer.  

Looking back on the year, I am happy with the amount of work I have accommplished.  In retrospect, these projects were...

Mini challenge (Flower Power) for the Virginia Quilt Museum exhibit, was donated to raise funds for the museum.  I titled this one, "Nocturnal Garden Gate".

I taught a class on collage for my guild.  These are small mug mats, so it was a small project they could finish in one day.  

I made 2 Raven mini quilts.  One went to charity and the other went to my DS.  He loves Edgar Allen Poe.  

This is a quilt I call Alice's Fantastical Garden.  It's collaged using Emily Taylor's technique and most patterns from her book.  I added so many butterfly fussy cuts that every time I count them, I come up with a different number.  They're hidden in a lot of places.  

Still a work in progress, 89"X89".  This is the finished top completed by the end of December 2024, but it's been challenging quilting it on my Bernina 740 domestic machine.  The National Quilt Museum facebook group round 6 for 2024 and will probably the last one I take part in.  I've done every year since they began, so I'm pretty tired of making the sampler type quilts.  However, it's been a wonderful journey to be part of this group.  

There are more quilts I haven't mentioned, but these were the important ones that...dare I say....I am proud of.  Acknowleging God's gift and fulfilling my artistic need to create them.  So it continues...

Cookbooks and recipes

 I love books.  The artwork of bookcovers amazes me along with the artwork throughout the book's pages.  I just love to thumb through books of all kinds.  Cookbooks are my choice at the moment.  I have 5 shelves full of cookbooks that I have accumulated over the years.  Sometimes I ask Alexa for a recipe, but it's not the same as finding it in a cookbook stained from previous times where I've splashed vanilla or unknown ingredients on the pages.  Some cookbooks will never be reprinted.  Some are just old enough where people have forgotten either the author, restaurant, or other reason why the cookbook was published.  

My Neiman Marcus cookbook is a treasure.  It contains so much history of the why that came about for this fashion company to persue culinary excellence in their flagship stores.  Once a very long time ago, I was fortunate enough to have experience a meal at the Mariposa restaurant.  Of course I had to try the Chicken salad sandwich.  It is their signature lunch sandwich and it's been a menu favorite for over 50 years.  This recipe is in the cookbook along with the coveted Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe of urban myth.  The myth being that someone had requested the recipe from a NM cafe and was charged $250.  This is false, they never charged any amount for their recipes...ever.  Whether it was a gimick marketing ploy by NM or just an out of hand rumor, it didn't matter.  Neiman Marcus stayed popular and didn't fall from grace by the public.  

With that, I want to share recipes from the cookbook.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3 TBSP granulated sugar, or white sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder

Yield= 2 dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the butter, and sugars in a mixing bowl, beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.  In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients except chips and coffee powder.  Add slowly to the mixer, beating on slow speed.  Beat for 15 seconds.  Fold in the chips and coffee powder.  

Prepare a cookie sheet using a scoop or 2 TBSP measure, drip cookie dough onto the sheet leaving 3" apart.  Gently press with the back of a spoon.  Bake for 14-18 minutes or until browned around the edges.  Remove to a cooling rack and store in airtight containers.  Or freeze cookies in an airtight container.  

Chicken Salad Sandwich

2 3/4 cup diced chicken breast, poached

1 TBSP cider vinegar

1/2 cup minced celery

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3 TBSP heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

8 slices of whole wheat bread

4 large green leaf lettuce leaves

1 large tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

In a bowl, mix the chicken with the vinegar.  Add the celery, mayo, cream and seasonings. Fold the ingredients to gently combine.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Place 4 slices bread on a clean surface.  Top each with 1/4 chicken salad and top with lettuce leaf and 2 slices of tomato, top with a slice of bread.  

Optional:  Try adding crispy bacon.  Use whatever bread you like including croissants, cheese buns or cheddar biscuits.  

This recipe is creamy which is part of the secret to its success in the NM cafe's.  

Hopefully, recipes like these and tens of thousands more will never die off and I think as long as we cherish a written recipe or keep our cookbooks from accumulating too much dust from lack of use, maybe next generations will also appreciate their culinary/historical importance.  I've rambled on about these recipes, now it's time to make something great in the kitchen.  

Grandmother's Quilt

 

Unboxed and spread out on the floor.  It was basted to all the layers and didn't lay flat.  The backing extended 6-8 inches all around.

A friend of mine of nearly 30 years asked me to help her with a quilt her Grandmother started. Of course I accepted even though we are a couple thousand miles apart.  When it arrived, it was basted to the batting and backing and had a wide solid red border all around the edges.  She had someone baste the top to the batting and backing which was clumped, gathered and bubbly in places.  That was the first thing I took apart and asked her if it was OK to remove all the basting and layers so I could lay it flat and see what was going on with the top.  She assured me that it was OK and anything I did would be acceptable as she trusts me to do what is right for it.  The top had strips and squares haphazardly spread around with many different fabric weights and compositions.  There were old sheets cut into strips and squares, home dec fabric that were possibly drapes, some polyester squares that could have been trousers, polyester knit backed pieces that may have been clothing or a blanket.  It was a collage of so many pieces of her family history.  Over time, the pieces wore holes through in places even though it was only a top and not a finished quilt.  My friend cleverly patched these areas with applique's.  A group of birds here and some leaves there.  One large applique was the Hello Kitty face, so cute and recognizable.  It was an ecclectic mix of texture and color with deep meaning for her.  I asked her questions like, "are there any sacred pieces that I should not alter?"  She only mentioned one specific piece that contained barnyard chickens, so I took note of that and made sure I didn't alter that square.  The top was a massive 120"X120+".  "Will it go on a king size bed?", I asked.  She responded, "I think it's too big, so cut it to fit a queen size".  I cut off the red borders except the wonkiest edge to tackle that later.  One step at a time was how I worked on it.  Section by section.  In the places with excess bubbles that didn't lay flat, I made small pleats near the seams to be less conspicious.  I hand sewed the pleats down. 

 When the entire top laid flat with minimal bubbles, I had to consider the different weights of the pieces and decided to reinforce the reverse side of the lightweight sheeting with fusible interfacing.  All the outer edges needed the interfacing. But, this gave a lot of body to the edges which will help extend the life of the quilt and make the quilt stitches stand out.  The block with the applique bunny was a thick polyester woven blanket fabric, so I also fused interfacing to the reverse side of that block.  

Next, it was time to consider the edges.  One edge was particularly wonky.  Knowing that a straight edge wasn't going to look good, I had to think what would make it look less obvious.  

In the next communication with her, I asked if she was opposed to a scalloped edge to try and hide some troubled areas.  She thought that was a stellar idea.  Making a paper template, I cut the edges into a wave instead of a scallop.  Matching the top and bottom waves.  Then, matching the left and right side waves together.  It wasn't square, so I wanted it to appear even all the way around. 

When it came time to do the quilting stitches, I suggested an all over pattern.  So, I did a large free motion meander stitch pattern from edge to edge.  It was amazing that there were only 2 places where a fold could not avoided.  I know where those area are, but it's completely inconspicious. 

With the red border gone, the quilt had a more grown-up vibe, so I didn't reuse the red for the binding.  Instead, I suggested a pretty blue solid.  She approved of that, so I cut bias strips and finished the edges off with binding.  It was so satisfying to see this quilt now finished after being put aside for so long.  

Quilting stitches done, added the wavy edge binding and finished the binding by hand to the reverse side.  So large it doesn't fit on my domestic machine sewing table so I crumpled it for the photo to show binding edge. 

Finished quilt on Queen size blow up bed.  Finished size is roughly 100"X95"

I carefully folded and placed it in her garment bag and boxed it up to be sent overseas.  It was a long couple weeks in transit, worrying about it all the while.  When she received it, I got a message from her with complete joy over the work I did.  She expressed how she will cherish it now as a colaborative quilt made by her Grandmother, herself, and her friend (me).  I'm so thrilled that she loves it and trusted me to carefully finish the quilt it was meant to be.   Later she asked how to care for it.  I expressed to her that minimal cleaning is best and not to wash it in a washer or drying it in a dryer.  Dry cleaning would be the best way to freshen and spot clean it.  I've had success using Woolite home dry cleaning products in a very low heat dryer.  Sometimes just airing out a quilt to freshen it is enough.  A couple hours in the sunshine is OK.  

Labeling Quilts

 

It's sometimes an afterthought to add the label after completing the quilt.  Most times, sadly, it's never added and the information about the quilt's maker is lost.  Like my last blog post about quilts telling stories, does every quilt need a label?   Afterall, I make quilts to satisfy me need to create and I assume when I leave my earthly home, they will go to my DS to do whatever he wants with them.  I am OK with that.  They served their purpose by my creating them and I don't expect anyone else to like them or use them.  So, do these have to be labelled?  My time is precious and short, so do I need to spend an extra few hours creating the label?   My short answer to this long question is....YES!

What's the point of labeling?  The information added to the quilt is vital to future generations to know about the maker, who the maker is/was, where the maker is/was from, why it was made, when is was made or finished.  It's not a guarantee that the quilts will survive you.  That will depend on the quality of materials, construction, environment conditions, etc...but most likely, the quilts will last for many generations to come if taken care of.   It could be sold or given to someone who never knew you or your family.  I've seen plenty of quilts in garage sales, antique shops, thrift stores, auctions, and sadly, some are thrown away or retired to a dog pen. 

When I add labels, I make it relevant to the quilt.  It's not just a scrap off the floor and stuck in the bottom back corner of the quilt.  Making it relate to the quilt makes a statement that the information is important, attaching it in a prominent area on the backside of the quilt and stitching through the label as a permanent patch.  

There are hi-tech options to add like tagging.  If you submit the quilt to national shows and it's out of your hands and control for periods of time, I could see this expense as a kind of insurance.  Speaking of insurance, this is a good idea when you enter shows.  I've heard so many horror stories of loss and damage to quilts.   

Documenting quilts can go further than just placing a label on the backside at completion.  Maintaining a spreadsheet or journaling all your quilts with information like who it was gifted or sold to can help relatives know where all your quilts went and who may own them, what year they were made, why it was made, if the quilt is no longer/cut up for other things, etc...and all that can be documented in a spreadsheet or word file which makes updating easy.   Keep these important details with all your other important documents so that your survivors will be able to locate it.   Make notations of where you want your quilts to go if you haven't gifted them to who they are intended for already.  You may have an antique quilt in your collection that a local quilt museum would like to have if it's not intended for anyone else in the family.  Sometimes professional quilters have passed away leaving quilts to family, but they don't want them, or they have simply kept their favorite works you've made and cannot keep them all.  Spelling out details in a will might be what you need to do.  

When I see a quilt with a label, the information contained is appreciated and important.  It could also add to the value and importance of the quilt.  A quilt made by a nationally known artist will be more desirable and worth more.  Like all forms of art, an accomplished artists' work carries a price relevant to their expertise.  It's also important to state whether the quilter's maker is a professional, has a quilt business, website, etc...as that will tell about them which reflects their style, history, experience, and ability.

I've heard the saying, " it's not a quilt until it's quilted".   To me, "a quilt's not completed until the label is attached".   

Quilts tell Stories?

 Stories behind the Quilts.  Does every single quilt made have a story?  Or warrant a need for a story?  I used to believe that they may not.  I never thought that anyone, even family, would want me to document my story about each quilt.  Or keep my quilts.  Or care to hear of my struggles over making any of my quilts.  Do I find it necessary to explain some of my quilts and the inspiration behind making them?  Well....and keep in mind, this is only my opinion.  

Collaged from an image

Quoth the Raven - donation mini quilt

Quilts made from patterns may not need a story as it is just bascially reproducing someone's pattern in a favorite color scheme.  But, when I see an art quilt, I feel the need to know more about it.   Search more meaning behind it. What or who inspired it.  Just like paintings and sculptures, textiles also need the story told.   When I see old quilts made with feed sacks and old ties, those are wonderful in their own right.  Using what was at hand was what quilt making was all about long ago and in times of great need with little to no resources.  Furnishing a quilt to every member of the family to use on a daily basis was the point of all that tedius work and struggle.

Today, though, I make for the sake of creating.  I will still make quilts to use, but more often creating something small to satisfy a need to express a thought, technique, emotion, or an object or nature.  Mini quilts are a great size to try out a technique or color scheme without investing a lot of time and materials in an idea.   Ten to 30 inches square. This is my favorite size for art quilts.  They don't have to be massive 5+ foot wall quilts.   

My designs are not always carefully planned out.  Most times a rough sketch is all I need to get going on a new piece.  Sometimes just a poem, saying, or image is all I need.   Don't get me wrong, I still make quilts from patterns and throw those on my bed to use.  They are beautiful to sew up and don't take a lot of time planning as that work is done for you if you stick to the pattern of choice.  But, there's something fascinating about art quilts.  Being able to express yourself from an image or drawing is very appealing to me.  

The Raven - for my son

When displaying and attending shows, I gloss over all the quilts made from patterns.  Yes, they're beautifully executed by the sewist and or quilter, but for me the truly fascinating quilts are the ones fully conceived and executed by the quilter.  Sorry to those that send off your tops to longarmers.  I understand, and sometimes I too send off my tops.  But, for a spectacular piece of art, I choose to do the entire piece myself.  Only I know what I want it to look like.  And I want it completely done by my hand.  All free hand free motion quilted.  No measuring, no rulers, no computer pantographs, etc... Also, sorry to those quilt judges and quilt police alike.  I will never enter another quilt in a show.  Judges do not know my intentions of the quilt created.  They simply read (or not) a little blurb about it on a card that just states name, place and inspiration.  But, cannot know what else went into the creation of the piece. Like paintings, some quilts bring out emotions, societal issues, politics, life journeys, health struggles, etc... Judges are only concerned with construction like points meeting and squaring up corners, filling the binding, etc...and yes, they're perfectly square, perfectly symetrical, perfectly longarm ruler computer assisted quilted.  Great.  Good to know something can be perfect in an imperfect world.  But....ugh.  Where are the art quilts?  I am more excited to see those than to care who or what took first place.  

In my Sewing Room art quilt

In a nutshell, I make quilts to satisfy a need to create whatever the topic.   Crafting, crocheting, baking, and zentangling also satisfies my need to create and keep my hands busy.  This is really all that's needed in explaining my story behind  a quilt, or baking a loaf of bread, or crocheting the 10th scarf.  By the way, here in South Carolina, I've only worn a scarf twice in the dead of winter.  The need to create outweighs the need to use it.  Is that the artist inside me? 

 If I didn't have something to create I would be very unhappy, that's for sure.  I like to gift things I make to people I love.   One example is; a friend I see in person rarely I've gifted a quilt to... she hugs me and tells me how much she uses it and appreciates it.   That means a lot to me...and her.  This is a way better story to tell than what, where, when, or how I made a quilt.  It's the WHY.  WHY did I spend months making a quilt?   To show my love of creating to the people I love or to keep for myself.  Being an introvert, it's sometimes hard to tell or show people what I love to do.  I stay in my corner until it's safe to come out bearing a gift and hoping it will be well received.  The synic in me assumes people will only scoff and say I am showing off or trying to buy friendship.  This couldn't be further from the truth if it was on the planet Pluto (yes, I'm old, Pluto is a planet last I learned in school).  I digress.  

Tim and Anita's quilt - William Morris fabrics

Enough rambling.  It's time to create something today.  :o)   

Catherine's Wheel

 I posted December 17, 2020 about making an ornament which is called prairie wheel (USA) or Catherine's Wheel (UK).  The latter being of more historical significance.  It is named for the patron saint Catherine from the 4th century who was tortured for not renouncing her Christian religion.  She is the patron saint for students, preachers, philosophers, as well as single women.  I digress.

In this post, I am revisiting the Catherine's wheel and how to make the ornaments. First thing to do is decide on the color scheme you want.  It can look scrappy, or use one color, two colors...whatever you have on hand is fine.  The middle of the wheel is a small pillow that measures 3" in diameter and will be entirely covered, so it will not matter what fabric or color you use for this.  Muslin works great and is easy to sew through.  You will need:

12 - 2.5" squares of prints, solids, or combo of both

2 - 3" circles of muslin, or a center pillow

Poly-fil or scraps of batting for pillow stuffing

Strong thread (I use button thread)

Buttons, beads, or trims for the centers of each wheel

DMC floss or Perle cotton for a hanger

Hot glue and glue gun (optional)

Size 6 or 7 sharps needle, small scissors, thimble, sewing machine (optional)

Sew the circles together using a 1/4" seam allowance and a long thread (about 30").  Make a small slit through one of the center circles, turn and stuff.  Stitch the opening closed make a couple stitched through the pillow and make a knot but do not cut off.  

Fold one 2.5" square at a time.  Fold in half on the diagonal, then again on the diagonal, and once again on the diagonal.  All the raw edges should be aligned on one edge. 

Straddle the resulting triangle over the edge of the center pillow and draw the thread through the points that come together in the center on the front and back.  Do not cut the thread.  Continue with the next spoke in the same way.  Mix or match your color choices as you go around the wheel.  Gently tug and separate each spoke as you go making a tacking stitch through the center.  When you come to the end you can do one of two things.  Make a secure knot and cut the thread or sew on your embellishment, then tie off.  If you cut the thread before embellishing, this is where you will glue on your buttons, beads or trims.  You can also use a tiny bit of glue inside the spoke to secure it to the top inside of the pillow.  In a couple places, this can be quite effective in keeping its integrity. 

 The final thing to do is to add a thread or ribbon trim to hang it from.

Viola!  You're done.  Honestly, I do this while watching TV and can make several in an hours time, and what a great project to use up those scraps or strays from jelly rolls.  :o)  Happy Sewing!

  

Preoccupied

Looking back on this year, I can say a lot of work has been started and some has been completed.  Some of it was easy breezy and some was lost in a fog of proccupation of one thing or another.  Resulting in UFO's, starts and stops, and downright bin fodder.   Not complaining here, just simply remarking of the processes in growth and development of the art form.  Sometimes being preoccupied and diverted is a very positive thing.  

Note:  the top portion of this post was drafted at the end of 2023, many months ago, and I never finished it.  More preoccupation.  But, now being September 2024, I look back on this year and am happy with the progress made.  I will always have some UFO's that linger for months or even years.  Motivation and interest has to keep me going.  Letting go of things I don't even like anymore is important for me to grasp.   Inspiration is, luckily, something I think I may always have.  So many topics and techniques to explore. 

For now, back to sewing...

More stitching

 

Long stitched concentric circles on rough 4-patch squares.  Hand stitching is very satisfying and therapeutic.  My mind is fixed on doing one motion, one direction, and no crossed lines.  Small scraps are transformed into interesting blocks.   Easily tucked in my bag for on-the-go stitching I can take anywhere.   When I get enough of them, I'll stitch them together.   For now, I'm enjoying the process of choosing scraps from my overflowing bag.  I also have a rainbow of threads to choose from to either contrast or match.  Lastly, the buttons.  Lots and lots of buttons.  

I blogged some time ago about my button box.  I actually have more than one button box, more than 3, no I have 5 tin button boxes.  Not tiny ones, those big ones that cookies or other goodies once held.    Maybe I will make a dent if I keep making these squares. Hearts, ornaments, and whatnot called for some buttons, but, I've also been incorporating buttons and beads in some of the landscape art quilts I made like this one.  My DS shot some videos while he was traveling in Amsterdam.  My interpretation depicts the amazing acres and acres of fields of tulips and wildflowers he saw.   It's an awe-inspiring sight.